News Tidbits 26 March 1879

The weather, which so often furnishes such a convenient topic of
conversation, when people can find nothing else to talk about is
becoming a matter of serious consideration and people talk of it now in
sober earnestness. The facetious ones say the clerk of the
weather is on a spree and ought to be discharged for neglect of
duty--the more despondent ones believe that it is NEVER going to rain
any more whilst others with some philosophy and probably more faith,
pretend not to grumble, but say, the rain will come when the good Lord
chooses to send, and as it "rains alike on the just and unjust" we will
get our share when the others get theirs, and so believing this we
leave the subject for others to croak about.

Everybody has finished planting corn, but serious doubts are felt as to
whether there is sufficient moisture in the ground to germinate it.

Wheat and oats look very sorry--to use an expression more forcible than
elegant. Stock of all kinds is very thin and many are dying.

Stock men are busy gathering, marking and branding.

Mr. Robert Davis returned
a few days since from the southwest where he had been to buy sheep.
He lost a good many in driving them home.

Mr. Francis who has been
sick for so long, is still in critical condition.

School has again opened in the Rockvale Church, with a fair attendance
of pupils considering the amount of sickness ...[some text missing]
Anderson is the teacher.
Hope he will succeed in building up a permanent school, for it is
a stigma upon our community that we can have a three months free school
only.

The young men have organized a debating club. Occasionally the
public is invited to attend their meetings. I am glad to say the
members acquit themselves creditably. It certainly is much more
conducive of moral and intellectual development than horse racing,
etc., to which young men generally display such a natural tendency.

Some young men of the "baser sort" from adjoining neighborhoods have
made themselves obnoxious, by cutting saddles, bridles, turning horses
loose, etc. If they don't proceed cautiously, they will find out
that the Grand Jury takes care of just such "cattle."